Friday, November 19, 2010

Sixpoint pops up more beer in Philly

(and then there were ten Sixpoint taps, all nicely lined up at your service)

I hear pop-up and, for some reason, MTV's pop-up videos of the 80s and 90s comes to mind...back when MTV actually played a role in musical pop culture. Yes, those were the days...but, I digress...
Pop-up restaurants have become something of a recent novelty that seem to impress both restauranteurs and guests alike. Based on my unscientific and totally incomplete research, City Tap House is conducting the first known pop-up brewery this weekend in Philadelphia's University City neighoborhood.
I stopped in last night for a media preview before heading off to Brauhaus Schmitz for an Aecht Schlenkerla beer dinner (which, by the way, was one of the most amazing beer events of the year here in Philadelphia...much more on this to come this weekend).

Andy Farrell, general manager, staged this preview event with Jeff Gorlechen and Dan (last name, please?) from Brooklyn's Sixpoint Brewery. During this upcoming weekend, brewery owner Shane Welch and at least another brewer will hang out in the private beer tasting room off to the side of the main bar area. That means that roughly half the brewery staff will be in Philadelphia at some point between last night and the next three days for this pop-up brewery event.
Sunday sounds, perhaps, the most interesting when the Sixpoint guys will bridge the gap beteween commercial and home brewing with conversations that they will conduct with their homebrewing guests. As an added bennie, Sixpoint pints will be $4 on Sunday only.
With the Beer 2.0 program up-and-running, the pop-up brewery concept getting underway this weekend, and routinely scheduled beer events, City Tap House appears to be settling into its flightplan for beer.
Farrell's eventual plans include getting this popping up on a monthly basis. Tentatively planned upcoming pop-up brewery weekends include Stone, Dark Horse, and one more that's escaping me at the moment (maybe Andy will check in here and remind me. Suppose I could just call or email and avoid giving the impression that I'm losing my memory, but right now this seems easier!).
By the way, if you do go, be sure to try one of the three exclusives, the Enterprise--a really tasty rye with cloves. Heck, try any or all ten beers if you'd like, but make sure that Enterprise is one of them.